A 20.000 KM JOURNEY ACROSS HALF THE GLOBE
This is not just a journey. This is not just a holiday. This is not just an excursion into the unknown. This journey is a spiritual experience. It is hard to describe the feelings this trip brings up in me, the type of emotions I feel when I am planning it, thinking about it, making it all slowly happen. I guess that to some extent it is impossible to truly grasp the vastness of the experience ahead of me.
I know I am not the first person to do something like this, and in all fairness, people that have done such or a similar trip before me probably had it harder. No freeways in China, less information, no internet, no satellite phone - I dont pretend to be some pioneer doing this kind of shit for the first time. But it is the first time I am doing something of this size, and the experience feels like a milestone, a beginning and an end, all in one.
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The images that please me most, the things I am really looking forward to, are many. But the ones that truly stand out are the ones where I imagine the feeling of arriving with the same car I stepped into 20.000KM ago, and before that, the feeling of a never-ending road, changing landscape, driving through thousands of years of history, culture. I have conceived the idea of this trip quite a while ago, I think it must be about 10 years. My idea back then was to drive from Cape Town to Vladivostok. I now know this is still not possible even today (some parts of Africa just dont have roads) let alone with a normal passenger car.
About that - do understand I am fully aware that most likely doing this trip in a 4x4 jeep is a more sane idea - I know. But I dont care. Doing this journey in a Mercedes passenger vehicle is a great part of the appeal. To me, doing it in a 4x4 does not feel nearly as exciting. To me, that would feel much less original, daring, and most of all, much less comfortable :P. Trust me man, this car puts even todays' so-called luxury sedans to shame, and is built to such high standards that you can see similar cars having clocked 500.000KM still happily driving around town even today.
Here on the right I will provide an overview of the entire trip. This page will probably change often and perhaps even significantly, so make sure to check it out now and again for updates.
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(1) AUSTRALIA
Call me stupid, but this is the part I am least looking forward to. And yes I know the scenery will be awesome and I will see kangaroos and drive through the wonderful Australian outback and rainforest but... yeah. Most of all I just want to get to Singapore. I am guessing that my travel companions will be much more interested in this stretch - I certainly wont stop anyone from enjoying it. Its just that... ahh... I have kind of had it with Australia. Not really for any negative this-place-sucks reason, its a mild tiredness with the place in general. But, I do expect the part in Australia to be pretty awesome nevertheless, and I certainly won't be some numb killjoy during that stretch. But, for me the true novelty and excitement starts in Singapore :)
1a. Sydney to Brisbane
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We will be taking the road along the eastern coast of New South Wales and Queensland. This is a very scenic, beautiful route with lots of great ocean views. Just a tick before we get into Brisbane we will be driving into Byron Bay where you can enjoy the great beach as pictured here on the left :)
The trip from Sydney to Brisbane will take about a day and a half, or two days if we decide to take our time and enjoy the scenery a bit more :) Generally we will not be rushing, but we must make it for the ferry in Darwin! |
1b. Brisbane to Mt. Isa
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Making our way out of Brisbane the Benz will take us north-west right through the Queensland rain forest to Mt. Isa. I would like to write something about this, but I have never been there yet (only to Cairns and surrounding areas) so I am not really sure what we will be seeing here, but I have been told it's all very beautiful :)
I expect this stretch to take about 3-4 days or so, meaning we will be going pretty quick to cover just over 1800 KM of road. |
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